Flour war
by silverfang493
Summary: Something that happened in a friends story. This will be a one- shot. Unless I decide to write any other 'dates' she has planned for her story. The story is "Hetalia: tale of two girls" by pinkittwice54.
1. flour war

(Maddy's P.O.V)

For some reason, baking always calmed me down.

I needed to calm down right now.

It'd been bad enough when Matthew had sat so close to me after he got pissed at Alfred. It hadn't helped that Alfred sucked at aiming and had almost hit Brittany and I, which had made Matthew scoot closer to me and be all protective. I'd been convinced that my heart was going to explode because of how fast it was beating. Then Brittany had fallen into the lake. _That _hadn't helped at all.

So ya, I needed to calm down.

Measuring the sugar and baking powder, I dumped the ingredients in the bowl and checked the recipe again. I'd never made a 'Hot Milk Cake' before, but it was the first cake recipe I'd found in the cookbook. Plus it sounded interesting and I wasn't against trying it.

Right then, Matthew walked in. I froze, then took a deep breath and smiled. "Hey."

He offered a small smile. "Hey." he was quiet for a minute and I absently scratched at a old, scabbed up cut running down my arm

"Um..." I looked up, waiting for him to finish "I was wondering if you wanted help."

I blushed and looked at my feet to hide it. "Sure." I finally choked out

I turned back to the counter and picked up the bowl of butter. "Could you melt this?"

His eyes lit up and he nodded. Reaching out, he grabbed the bowl. Our fingers touched and I inhaled sharply and pulled my hand away.

Matthew looked in the bowl, then back at me in confusion. "This is a lot of butter."

I nodded. "The recipe called for 10 tablespoons." _So much butter. That's more than a stick. _

He stared at the bowl, then shook his head and opened the microwave. I heard the door close and the buttons beep as they were pushed. I put the sugar and baking powder away, trying to keep the kitchen relatively clean. I dumped the milk and vanilla extract in the bowl to keep busy. It had become insanely hard to calm down.

Matthew picked up the eggs and cracked them into the bowl. As he pulled away, our hands brushed again and I gulped. My heart pounded. _Calm down. _I thought, opening the bag of flour. He grabbed the butter out of the microwave and poured it into the bowl. He must have been reading the recipe, since he wasn't hesitating about which ingredients to put in.

I stuck the milk in the fridge and the vanilla in the cupboard. "Can I ask you something?" I blurted out, the tension not giving me time to think and articulate my thoughts correctly.

He looked at me, startled. "I guess."

I took a deep breath. "This is going to sound weird, but what do I call you? I mean, I know that your real name is Matthew, but do you want me to call you by that or by Canada or...?" I trailed off

He blinked. "Matthew is fine. Honestly I don't care. As long as you don't call me 'matty,' I hate it when Alfred does that."

I stared at him in shock. "You do?" _Since when?_

He gave me a weird look. "Ya. Why?"

"No reason." I said quickly _But all those fanfictions..._

He cleared his throat and pulled the measuring cups out of a drawer by his leg.

I smiled to cover the awkwardness. "No calling you matty, got it." But honestly, hearing him say he hated the nickname was surprising. In almost every fanfiction I'd read, he'd been called 'matty/mattie' multiple times and never seemed to care. Of course those were just fanfictions but still.

He looked away and I winced. Had I said or done that made him uncomfortable? It was probably my question. I measured out the flour, put it in the bowl and started mixing the ingredients together. The oven beeped, signaling that it was done preheating and I poured the batter into the pan and stuck it in the oven.

"I hope this cake turns out ok." I muttered

"You hope?" He asked "Haven't you made it before?"

I shook my head. "No. I wanted to try a new recipe."

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Matthew said

I blushed and looked away. Did he mean that or was he just saying it to get me to calm down?

I turned toward the counter and started cleaning up, washing batter off the bowl and mixer. My stomach churned. The silence was deafening. Suddenly, an idea popped into my head and I looked at Matthew. He was wiping the counter by the oven off. Smiling, I grabbed the flour and crept up behind him. I got a handful of flour and waited.

He turned around and I threw it at his face. When the white cloud dispersed, his face, the top of his shirt and parts of his hair were covered in flour. I tried to look as innocent as possible, which was hard, considering I was still holding the flour.

Deliberately being slow, I got another handful and ruffled his hair. He pushed me away, grabbed another bag of flour and threw a handful at me. I squeaked in surprise without really meaning to. The flour hit me shockingly hard and I coughed as it exploded into a cloud.

Laughing quietly, I threw another handful at him. I slipped on a pile of flour and dumped the rest of the bag on Matthew's head when he bent down to help me up. I felt flour cascade onto my head and squeezed my eyes shut. When I opened them again, I looked around the kitchen. "So much for trying to keep it clean." I said

About half the kitchen was covered in flour and Matthew was coated in the powder. I giggled and looked at the oven door. I wasn't vain and normally didn't look in the mirror unless I was brushing my hair, but this time I couldn't help it. My hair was white. "My hair hasn't been this color since I was like six."

Matthew chuckled. "My hair has never been white."

"How many bags of flour did we use?" I asked, counting two that I could see

He held up another two bags. "Four."

I poked his shoulder, leaving a white dot on the sleeve of his hoodie.

He poked me back, then wiped his flour covered hands on his hoodie. I did the same, only wiping my hands on my own shirt.

Then Brittany walked in.


	2. a day at the amusement park

**pinkittwice54: yup, you told me. *throws a cookie at you***

(Maddy's P.O.V)

Why did the universe hate me? And why had Alfred thought coming to the amusement park was a good idea?

_This is so awkward. _I thought, following Matthew through the crowds of people. I almost lost him a couple times. Even though none of the rides seemed that bad, none of them really looked that good either. I was basically a suppressed adrenaline junkie, but I wasn't going to tell anyone that.

We stopped in front of a giant neon pink tent. You'd have to be blind not to see it. I opened my mouth to say something and my stomach growled loudly. Blushing, I wrapped my arms around my abdomen, silently wishing for it to stop.

Matthew looked at me and smiled slightly. "Hungry?"

I blushed even more, knowing I couldn't deny it. "I- I guess."

"Ok." he started walking toward the concession stands and I followed slowly.

I stared at the ground, waiting for my blush to go away. Matthew said my name and I looked up, accepting the corndog he was holding out. I took a bite and chewed numbly. I knew I'd probably be sick later, but as far as I could tell, they didn't have anything that wasn't dessert.

After we that, we went back to the pink tent and read the sign by the entrance. "'The magnificent Danny, disappearing expert'?" I asked, reading it aloud "He could've come up with a better name."

Matthew nodded. "Do we want to watch?"

I shrugged. "I've never been a big fan of live magic shows, but I mean, do you want to watch it?"

He shook his head. "I've never been a big fan of live magic shows either." he said, his voice quiet, like always "Plus I don't think either of us need help disappearing."

I couldn't help laughing. "I don't think so either."

In the end, we decided not to watch the show. For a while we just walked around, looking at the different attractions and debating on whether to ride them or not. It wasn't until about half an hour later that I regretted eating that corndog.

I froze mid step, clutching my stomach. Matthew stopped and stared at me worriedly. "Are you ok?"

"Um..." I winced "No." My stomach churned, my throat constricted. Suddenly, I couldn't breathe. I coughed, half expecting to lose it right there. "I think... I'm going... to throw up."

Matthew grabbed my arm and led me through the groups of people. I squeezed my eyes shut, the sick feeling getting worse. When he stopped, I looked up and coughed again. He let go of me and I pushed into the bathroom.

_**Time skip**_

"Damn corn dog." I muttered, sitting next to Matthew

He looked at sympathetically, then went back to staring at the ground. "You didn't have to eat it."

I shrugged. "I didn't think I'd get sick this time."

His head jerked up. "This time?"

I nodded. "This happened when I went to an amusement park with my parents when I was eleven."

He gave me a dirty look and shook his head.

"I didn't think it was going to happen again." I muttered "It's been years."

He sighed. "No more corn dogs."

I shrugged and took a sip of the water he'd brought. "I'm good with that."

He sighed again and looked around. "So what should we do?"

I hung my head. "I don't know. Does this place have an arcade or something?"

"I think so."

"Then why don't we do that?" I massaged my temples and looked up when I thought I could handle it.

Matthew stood up and offered me his hand. Even though I didn't really need it, I took it anyway and stood. Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around my shoulders. I froze, not completely sure how to respond to the hug. Eventually, I hugged back. He let go and stared at his feet.

"Sorry," he said, finally looking at me again "I know you don't like hugs. I just thought... maybe you might need one."

I gulped. "No, it's fine. You just surprised me. It's not a big deal."

He blushed. "Ok."

I sighed, but put on a smile. "Let's go see if we can beat a game, shall we?" I flung my hand toward the games for emphasis and his eyes locked on my wrist.

"What is that?"

I looked at my wrist. "Um... a maple leaf." I held my arm out to him so he could see it normally. "I got really bored at the meeting. Plus I think maple leaves are pretty."

He smiled. "They are."

I blushed and looked at my feet to hide it. _Please don't notice. _

He cleared his throat. "Let's go beat a game."

I walked after him, rubbing the leaf on my wrist. I'd have to redraw it soon before it faded.

"So tell me about your family." Matthew said, after a few minutes

"Well there's not much to tell." I replied "They're just... my family."

"Well what are they like?" he asked

"They're... ok, I guess. They tend to jump to conclusions and overreact about things." I explained

"They sound ok." he said

"Well they ignore me." I confessed "They stopped paying attention to me a few years ago."

He blinked. "Oh."

I nodded and forced a smile. "But it's ok, I've gotten used to it. Besides, Brittany still talks to me and now we're... here."

He stopped and grabbed my shoulders. "It's _not _ok. Being ignored is the worst thing. You can't just 'get used to it.'" he hugged me again.

I stiffened, once again feeling awkward and uncomfortable. He let go and looked around, still holding my shoulders. Finally, his eyes lit up and he looked at me again. "Stay here."

"Ok...?" I replied, too stunned to come up with a better answer

He quickly returned and handed me one of those paperboard boats. I immediately recognized the smell of deep fried oreos. My stomach twisted. I wouldn't get sick if I ate these, I knew that but what bugged what Matthew's reaction to my claim.

He suddenly looked at the oreos as if they were poison. "Will you get sick if you eat those?"

I shook my head. "No, but I probably won't be able to eat them all." I held the little boat out. "Want one?"

He blushed and looked away. "I- I guess."

After he'd taken one, I grabbed one and took a bite of it. As I chewed, I thought about what he'd said. It must have really bugged him that I'd said I was ok with being ignored. Even though it was true, I could understand why it would bug him.

I looked in the boat. There was one oreo left. I looked at Matthew. "Want it?"

He shook his head. "I couldn't eat the whole thing. I'm not super hungry."

"Me neither." I muttered

We ended up splitting the last one. We found a shooting game and decided to play. Matthew asked if I wanted to, then teased that he'd probably win anyway.

I huffed. "You're on."

We hadn't gotten far into the game when I heard a familiar voice yell "Go Maddy!"

"Shut up Brittany!" I shouted it wasn't that I didn't appreciate her cheering me on, it was mostly that I was trying to focus.

"Come on, you know you love meh!" she jumped on me, hugging me.

I screamed and turned around, which made me lose the game. "Damnit Brittany!"

She laughed and poked me. "That's what you get for being mean."

Matthew chuckled and said something to the game supervisor. I wasn't really paying attention. He handed me the prize. "Here."

I blushed and awkwardly took it. "Um... you didn't have to..."

He shrugged. "Whether you played or not, I was going to give it to you."

"Aww..." I hugged the plush cat. "Thank you Matthew."

"Y- you're welcome."

"Hey guys! When we're done here, wanna go to Ruby Tuesday's for dinner?" Alfred jumped on Matthew from behind, nearly pitching them both to the ground.

Brittany giggled and I joined in without really meaning to. Laughter is contagious. "Sure."

"Awesome! Alright, Brittany, we checked up on them! Now let's go play some games!" Alfred yelled

"What?" Brittany asked "But I want to hang out with..." her sentence was cut short as Alfred dragged her away

I couldn't hear what he said in response, but Brittany looked over her shoulder and called. "Then later Maddy! Take care of her Matt!"

I rolled my eyes and scoffed. I did not need taking care of, thank you very much. Suddenly I realized something.

_They were ditching us on purpose._


	3. dinner

**pinkittwice54: not helpful *throws a cookie at you***

(Maddy's P.O.V)

My first clue that Alfred was planning something was the weird look he got when the waiter walked up. Then when the waiter got to us, I felt myself being shoved forward and I stumbled, barely able to keep from doing a faceplant.

I wanted to kill Alfred, in all honesty. The waiter led Matthew and me away from the door. When we got to the table, I reached for the back of a chair, only to have Matthew dart in front of me, grab it and pull it out for me. Too stunned and tired to question it, I sent him a smile and sat down.

He sat down in his own chair, staring at the tablecloth. "Can I get you folks started with some drinks?"

He looked up at me. "Ladies first."

"Are you sure?" I asked, before thinking about it

He nodded and looked at the tablecloth again.

"Um... water, please." I said, looking at the waiter's name tag. _Mark? That is the most generic name ever. _I folded my arms and laid them and my head on the table, using my arms as a pillow. Probably not proper dinner behavior, but at the moment I didn't care.

"And for you, sir?" Mark asked

"Coffee with m- maple syrup please." Matthew answered

I smiled into my arm, finding his stutter and affinity for maple syrup adorable. As Mark's footsteps receded I sat up, stared at the tablecloth and started having a mental argument with myself.

_This is so awkward._

_**So say something to him!**_

_But I don't know what to say!_

_**That doesn't matter. Just say something!**_

_Someone please kill me. Just kill me. I can die happy now. I'm going to murder Alfred. Please just kill me. Kill me and get this whole thing over with. _

_**That can be arranged.**_

_Shut up! You're not helping!_

_**Since when am I helpful?**_

_Shut up!_

I forced myself to look up and be social. I bit my lip and glanced at Matthew, who was still staring at the tablecloth. "Can I ask you a question?"

He looked up and nodded. For a moment, I sat in silence. I was so used to Brittany's response of "You just did." that my mind went blank.

"Um... is poutine good?" first thing that came to mind, don't judge me.

He smiled. "Mhmm. It's really good. Why?"

"Just wondering." I said quickly and looked at the table. "We learned about in french class, but I've never actually tried it."

He blushed slightly. "You should. Maybe we could go get it sometime."

I blushed and looked at my lap again. "Y- ya, that would be.. fun." _Why is it so hard to talk to you?_

"So... um, what's your favorite color?"

I lifted my head. "Red and purple."

Matthew looked away. "Are you and Brittany related?"

I shook my head.

"But she called you her sister." he muttered

I nodded. "Our friendship has just gotten to the point that we see each other as sisters now." _Plus I feel more loved by her family than mine. _

For a minute, he looked perplexed. "That makes sense."

Mark walked up and set our drinks down. "Are you ready to order?"

We both nodded and Matthew looked at me expectantly. I couldn't figure out why and then it hit me. He was waiting for me to order! I blushed and smiled to cover the awkwardness, then looked at Mark. "I'll have the grilled chicken salad, please."

"Ok, and for you, sir?"

"I guess... I'll just do the garden bar."

"Ok, I will be right out with those. Let me know if you need anything." he walked away

We ended up talking about the randomest of things, jumping from animals that we liked to the different constellations and their backstories to the movies we liked. It wasn't until we got our food that I felt like I could breathe properly again.

I stabbed a piece of lettuce with my fork and munched on it. Matthew was more reserved, eating slowly. I'd always had problems eating slowly. I didn't know why, but it was of the reasons I didn't like eating around people. "So who would you say has the best sibling relationship, out of Germany, Prussia, Italy, Romano, you, and Alfred?"

Matthew looked up from his food, his eye wide. "Well, Ludwig and Gilbert don't talk very often and Lovino can't talk to Feliciano without yelling at him..."

"So... you and Alfred have the best sibling relationship?"

He shrugged. "I guess."

Alfred and Brittany walked up. Brittany smirked at me and Alfred handed Matthew his car keys, then they left. I watched them leave and stabbed another piece of lettuce. My stomach was still kind of queasy from earlier, so I was trying to eat slower than usual.

We talked for a while longer. When we finished, Matthew paid and we walked out into the cold air. The wind had picked up while we were inside and I felt like I was going to be blown away. After finding Alfred's car, Matthew started it and we left.

The drive was long and silent. Suddenly, Matthew started telling me a story about when he and Alfred were younger and I found myself dozing off. _His voice is really soothing. I could fall asleep. _

My eyes flew open and I looked around. We were at Alfred's.

"Was the story too boring?"

I looked over at Matthew and shook my head. "Nah, I'm just kinda tired."

He smiled. "Understandable, but I think your bed would be more comfortable than the car."

I nodded, grabbed my plush cat and Gunter and got out. WAlking up to the front door, I watched the stars for a minute, then followed Matthew inside. "Night."

He looked at me. "Night."

Jogging up the stairs, I entered my room, grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil and scribbled out a short note. Grabbing Gunter, I went to Brittany's room and placed both items on her bed. Going back to my room, I changed and crawled in to bed, clutching the plush cat to my chest and falling asleep.

I woke to the smell of pancakes and the feeling of actually being happy. For a minute, all I could do was stare at the ceiling. It'd been so long since I'd felt genuinely happy that it felt almost alien now. I stretched, got dressed and hurried downstairs.

"Morning." I said, walking into the kitchen

"Morning." Matthew replied, turning to me "Sleep well?"

I nodded. "Out like a light. You made pancakes."

He smiled and handed me a plate. "Of course."

I accepted the plate, sat at the table and took a bite. "These are amazing!"

"I'm glad you like them." he said

"You're lucky." I muttered

He poked his head out of the kitchen. "Lucky?"

"That you can actually make pancakes. 9 out of 10 times, mine fail." I explained

He chuckled. "Well then, I'll teach you."

I blushed and ate the rest of the pancakes on my plate. I took my plate to the sink and rinsed it. "I'm gonna go wake up Brittany."

"Ok. Tell her there's pancakes."

"I will." I jogged up the steps, still insanely happy. I knocked on her door then walked in and stole the pillow when she didn't respond.

"Nooooo! What the heck man?" she whined

I chuckled. "Get up." I continued to hit her until she responded. "We need to talk." I sat down. "Why are you trying so hard to get Matthew and I together?"

She eventually explained that it was about getting us comfortable with each other. And that I could use more friends than her while we were here. I rolled my eyes at that one, but didn't respond. "What happened to you last night?" I finally asked

"Oh you know... we just talked and Alfred eventually challenged Arthur to see who could be the better gentleman."

I chuckled. "Sorry, that's just not a battle he could win."

"I bet he could, he just wouldn't be himself." Brittany said

"So what else did you do?" I asked

"I may or may not have kissed Alfred on the cheek."

"You WHAT!?" I yelled

"I don't know why I did it but it shut him up and I felt compelled to do so since he spent the whole trying to make me not as homesick and... I think I'm falling for him, but I really like Arthur." she explained

"I don't know what to say to that." I stated "But whoever you choose better treat you freakin fantastic."

Brittany chuckled. "Thanks Maddy... I think I'll just wait it out."

"Oh! Matthew made pancakes if you want any." I stood up "That's what I came to tell you."

She yawned. "Well you succeeded, I'll be there in a bit. I think I'm going to take a shower."

"Before or after the pancakes?" I asked, looking back at her

"After... where are you going?" she raised an eyebrow at me

"Nowhere really... just call me if you need me." I said, walking out _Now I need to find Alfred. He's got to be around here somewhere, it's his house. _I slid down the hall and almost ran into him as he came up the stairs.

"Hey dudette!" he said smiling

I smiled back. "Question."

"What's up?" he asked

"How do you get onto the roof?" I inquired

"You just go through that door, up the stairs, go in the first door on the right and you're there." he replied

"Thanks." he started to walk away "Oh and Alfred?"

He stopped and turned to look at me. "Ya dudette?"

"If you hurt Brittany, I will murder you." I said

His eyes widened. "Why would I hurt Brittany?"

"I'm not saying you would or that you will, I'm just letting you know that if you do hurt my sister, there will be consequences." I fixed him with my best death glare. The one that made boys move away from me. The one that made them feel like I was staring into their souls. Alfred was no different.

"Got it dudette. No hurting Brittany." he said in a quiet voice and backed away

"Good." I said in a sweet voice and turned to go the roof. I figured if I went up there, no one would see me dancing and singing along to my music. _I still have to give Arthur the no hurting Brittany speech..._


	4. the official date

(Maddy's P.O.V)

Kuma _was _adorable, but I was still confused about the sign in his mouth. Realizing that Brittany was too busy squealing over his cuteness to do anything, I reached toward him. "What do you have Kumajiro?"

He looked up at me for a minute, then blinked. "It's from... a friend."

I finally looked at the message on the sign and gasped. _No way._

Brittany read over my shoulder. "That is absolutely flippin adorable."

"Kuma..." I paused, my heart pounding "Can I see that pen?" I grabbed it and opened it, suddenly finding it hard to think.

_**Check yes! You know you want to!**_

_No! Check no! So many things could go wrong!_

Taking a deep breath, I finally drew a line in the "yes" box and handed both the sign and marker back to Kuma. "Is that all Kuma?"

He nodded and walked away. "Brittany-"

"I didn't do anything-"

"You were about to say something." I said, cutting her off

"Do I have the right to say it?" she asked

I slowly exhaled. "Maybe." _That depends on what you were going to say._

"Can I?"

"Fine."

"I told you to chill." she muttered

I glared at her. "Shut up! I know that's not what you wanted to say."

"Do I-"

"Just say it before you explode." I said chuckling

She squealed, which turned to a yell as she talked. "Ohmygod! Oh my god! OH! MY! GOD! He just asked you out! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!"

"Brittany! Shut up!" I buried my face in my hands, attempting to hide the blush I knew was starting

"Nope! I'm in fangirl mode!"

I blushed harder and groaned, knowing we were probably getting weird stares from bystanders. "Brittany... I hate you sometimes..."

She laughed. "I know you love me!"

I wished the bench would magically open a portal and take me to another dimension. "Brittany, please calm down..."

She opened her mouth to reply, only to be cut off by a loud "YES!"

I looked up sharply, staring at the bushes. _Has Matthew been there the entire time?_

Brittany giggled "What time Matthew?"

"Brittany!"

She looked at me sharply. "You weren't willing to do it!"

"Yeah but what if he's near by?" I whined _How could you do this to me?_

"All the more reason to ask." she argued

I groaned, but didn't reply.

"Matt?"

"Brittany please shut up!" I begged

Matthew stood up and scratched the back of his neck. He laughed nervously. "Around eight?"

Brittany grinned and turned to look at me. I bit my lip and looked away from the two of them, but finally nodded. _Around eight. _

He cleared his throat. "I'll see you then... then."

"Ok." I smiled, watching his face as he smiled and walked away

Brittany smirked at me and grabbed my arm. "Come on."

Out of habit, I dug my feet into the ground and leaned away from her. "Where are we going?"

"Shopping. Alfred told us to entertain ourselves and he gave us money. We're going shopping." Brittany explained

"I don't consider shopping entertaining. I think of it as a means of torture." I mumbled and pulled my arm away from her "Besides, I don't see the point in going. The outfit will just end up looking stupid later."

"Well then, what do you suggest?" she snapped

"Why can't I just wear this?" I asked, gesturing to my current outfit. I didn't think it was that bad.

"This is why Michael laughed when you went to him for dating advice."

"Why are you bringing Michael into this? I only went to him once. And that didn't turn out very well."

Brittany laughed and grabbed my arm again. "Maybe we should just go to the house."

I walked after her, my mind racing. _Did I really just agree to go on a date with Matt? _

_**Time skip**_

I looked at the shirts laid out on my bed, then at the clock.

7:15

A mirror hung on the back of the door and I grabbed a white shirt, slipped it on and looked in the mirror.

No good.

"This one looks stupid." I mumbled and changed into a dark blue shirt. I looked again.

"This one looks stupid too." Groaning, I collapsed on the floor and stared at the pile of shirts, feeling defeated.

"Stupid shirts." I muttered, glaring at the pile "Why can't you look normal? Any other day, I wouldn't care, but right now..." I trailed off, knowing the shirts wouldn't answer and that this wasn't a matter of them looking stupid.

Standing, I snatched the first shirt off the top of the pile and slipped it on. I looked in the mirror.

Still no good.

There was a knock at the door. I opened it a crack and peeked out. "Yes?"

"It's just me." Brittany replied

I stepped back and opened the door enough for her to get it. She came in and sat on the edge of the bed. I shut the door and looked at her.

"Having trouble?" she asked, glancing at the pile of shirts and the other two thrown across the room.

I nodded. "I don't know what to wear. This would be so much easier if I knew where we were going."

Brittany smiled sympathetically and tapped her chin. "Dark blue's a nice color on you."

"I've already tried that." I muttered, picking up the two shirts on the floor. I sat on the floor and looked up at her.

She smiled again. "Try purple then. Blue's and purples look nice on you." She stood up and walked out the door.

"You're not helping." I said under my breath

"Since when am I ever helpful?" she asked

I rolled my eyes and grabbed a purple shirt once she left. Changing into it, I looked at the mirror. _This actually doesn't look half bad. But it could be better._ I changed into a green shirt and looked again. I glanced up at the clock.

7:30

_Not like I have much of a choice. I can't believe I actually checked yes. _

I gulped and sat down, forcing myself to breathe normally. _Calm down._

Grabbing my book, I read a few pages and put it down. I couldn't read it right now. I fidgeted, smoothing down frizzy bits of my hair, tugging at my shirt. _Calm down!_

There was a knock at the door and I froze, heart pounding. Taking a deep breath, I stood and opened the door. Matthew was standing there, looking at me shyly.

"R-ready to-to go?" he asked, smiling

I smiled. "Yeah Matthew."

I followed him out of the house and to the car. The ride was silent and I ran through the different things I could say. _He might be trying to work up the courage to say something... _"Where are we going?" I asked finally, the silence becoming unbearable

"A place that's a little off the map, but totally worth seeing. So far it seems that I'm the only one who knows where it is and I thought I'd share it with you." he smiled

I was touched by this statement and I couldn't help blushing. "Matthew, that's so sweet!" I looked out the window, smiling slightly to myself

I saw him reach toward the radio out of the corner of my eye and blinked. "_I'm only gonna break, break, b- break, break, break your heart!"_

"GAHH!" Matthew blushed and quickly reached out to change it. I giggled.

"_No way, no how, I won't say I'm in love-"_

"Are you serious?!" he changed the channel again

"_Run, run, runaway, runaway baby! Before I put my spell on you-"_

"You know what?!" he said, switching the radio off. I laughed, watching as he pulled into a parking spot. "Stupid radio stations." he muttered

"It was still funny." I grinned, getting out of the car. He didn't answer, but instead, grabbed a basket "What's that?"

"Just a... just some food and supplies." He locked the car and turned toward a trail "Follow me."

I nodded and went after him. _Don't walk too quickly, but don't go so slow that he thinks there's something wrong._

We came through the brush and I stopped. _It's amazing. _"Matthew..." I trailed off, putting my hand to my mouth. Words refused to work correctly.

He looked at me and bit his lip. "Well... do y-you like it?"

I nodded slowly, still not being able to talk.

Matthew grinned and put the basket on a nearby log.

"The lake is frozen over." I stated _Oh you're fucking brilliant. Can't think of anything to say, so you just state the obvious._

"Yes, indeed it is." he replied, pulling ice skates out of the basket

A feeling of dread settled over me. "You brought ice skates."

"I did." he pulled out a second pair and handing it to me "H- here."

I took the skates and stared at them. "How is the lake frozen over?"

Matthew chuckled. "Magic." He tied the laces on his skates and looked up at me, resting his elbows on his knees. "They don't bite."

I sighed, knowing I couldn't stall any longer. "I know... I just... never been ice skating before."

"I can teach you."

I smiled. "I'll suck at it though."

"Don't say that." he replied softly

"It's true." I argued, plopping down on the ground

"No it's not, it's not written in stone." he said, coming and sitting next to me

"It might as well be." I sighed, realizing I was being difficult without really meaning to

"You don't know if you don't try. Come on..." he took the skates from me and undid the laces. "Put them on."

"Oookk..." I traded my shoes for the skates. "I trust you."

He stood and helped me up, once I'd gotten the skates on. We almost fell a couple times, but made it to the lake without dying. Matthew stepped onto the lake first and held out his hand. "Come on."

I kept my hands close to me and bit my lip. "I don't want to fall."

He bit his lip. "You won't, I promise."

_Just take his hand. It's not like you'll die if you go ice skating._

Finally, I gave him my hand and stepped onto the ice. I slid and flailed my free arm in an attempt to regain my balance. Matthew put a hand on my back and pulled me closer. I laughed nervously. "H-hey."

He blushed and moved away. "Ok, we're going to start now."

"Ok." I looked at his feet as we went around the lake. I copied his movements and held onto his arm. I tripped, but caught myself and cursed as we continued.

"I'm going to go a little faster, ok?" Matthew said, smiling at me. I bit my lip, but nodded.

As promised, we started going faster and I tightened my grip on his arm, but kept up.

"You ok there Maddy?" he asked

"Yeah... I think I got it." I loosened my grip on his arm. "It's kinda like walking."

He grinned. "See! I knew you could do it!"

I rolled my eyes. "I never said I couldn't! I just said that I would suck at it..."

"Well practice makes perfect."

"But nobody's perfect."

Matthew rolled his eyes. "Well aren't you just little miss positive."

I put my free hand on my hip (which wasn't the best idea). "I can be positive if I want to be." _It's just kinda hard._

He grinned and let go of my hand. We talked for a while, going around the lake again and again until he said. "You want to eat what's in the basket or stay out here a little longer?"

"Stay out here..." I replied "I want to try going faster without crashing into anything."

He smirked and started skating away. "You do that, I'm going to go eat a sandwich."

"Matthew!" I cried, grabbing the back of his shirt. I meant to grab his arm/shoulder. "Don't just leave me out here!" _He'll think you're clingy!_

He turned and grabbed my hand. "We both need food and you know it." He poked my nose and pulled me toward the basket. "Besides we can always go back to skating... let's just take a break for a while."

I looked at my feet. "I suppose you're right." _Idiot._

He chuckled and opened the basket. I sat next to him, not really wanting to take the skates off. "What..." I bit my lip and looked away from him "What do you have?"

"Mmmm... I didn't know what you liked so I played it safe and brought my signature pancakes and hot chocolate." he pulled out the food and a thermos.

"You didn't." I said, starting to feel intensely happy

He grinned. "I did."

"Matt... you're the best!" Suddenly, feeling kind of impulsive, I rested my head on his shoulder

He opened the thermos and poured a cup of hot chocolate, handing it to me. I took it and took a sip. I looked at Matthew through the corner of my eye. How could people push him aside so easily? And how had he noticed me? Other than Brittany, no one really did. My own family didn't notice me. So how had he? And why?

"Matt this is absolutely incredible." I set the cup down. "Let me guess... there's maple syrup in this?"

He chuckled. "I did make it... you guess correctly."

I laughed. "Either way it's delicious! Can I have a pancake?"

"Of course." He took out a few pancakes on a plate and handed them to me. "Syrup?"

"Please!" I held out the plate and he poured syrup over the pancakes

"You know Matt..." I went back to leaning on him "The night you picked to come here is absolutely beautiful."

"Y-you r-really think s-so?" he asked. I felt him rest his head against mine.

"Well... yeah. I mean, look at all the stars. It's a clear night, the moon lights up the scenery beautifully."

"There are a lot of stars out tonight." he said quietly

"There are... I really wouldn't mind coming out here again." I murmured, closing my eyes

Matthew didn't respond for a while. I felt his shoulder rise and fall as he took a deep breath. "Maddy..." he sighed "I have something to ask of you."

I sat up and looked at him. "What is it Matthew? Is there something wrong?"

"No... nothing's wrong. But I-I was just... just wondering..." he paused and seemed to change his mind about what he was going to say "...thank you for coming with me tonight."

"There wasn't much of a problem, I should be thanking you for thinking of a way to get me out of the house. But what is it you wanted to ask me?" _Idiot! You make it sound like he was just a way to fight off boredom._

"I-I-I... w-would you-u... uhhh..." he blushed

"Matthew?"

Wouldyoubemymapleleaf?" he muttered

I blinked and didn't respond. _Did I hear him correctly? Did he just...? Oh my god. Oh. My. God. _"Sure Matthew."

"Wait, what?" he looked up

I smiled, knowing my blush was obvious. "I'll be your maple leaf..."


	5. Why I'm not allowed in the kitchen

(Maddy's P.O.V)

Matthew had to go answer the phone. I thought _What's the harm in cooking while he's gone? None right?_

Wrong.

I picked up an onion, grabbed a knife and started cutting it. In my hand. Because I'm a smart person.

"Ouch!" I yelped, dropping the now bloody onion and knife, staring at the red slash across my palm.

"Are you ok?" Matthew asked from the other room

"I'm fine!" I lied through grit teeth and a clenched fist. Turning the sink on, I ran my hand under the faucet, watching as the water washed the blood down the drain.

"That was Arthur," Matthew said, walking back in "He said he was going to drop by in a few days."

"Ok." I said, turning the water off and pressing a folded hand towel against the cut

Matthew noticed the towel and sighed. "What'd you do?"

"Um..." I stalled, trying to come up with a reasonable way to explain my stupidity

_Screw this! _"I cut my hand." I said, going with the truth. Removing the towel, I watched as Matthew shook his head, a small amused smile crossing his face.

"I'll get some bandages." he mumbled, once again leaving the kitchen

Realizing the sauce was about to burn, I moved it to a different burner. I examined the various pots, trying to figure out exactly what was cooking. Matthew had said something about making fish, but I couldn't remember exactly what.

Noticing that the handle of the pan I'd just moved was crooked and over the burner I'd taken it off, I glared at it. It was aggravated my OCD.

_That handle is wonky. I must fix it. _

I reached forward, grabbed it and jumped back. "Ow..."

I cradled my hand against my stomach, staring at the bright pink flesh. I sighed. _Damn it._

"What'd you do this time?"

I looked at Matthew and tried to look as innocent as possible. "Um, the pan was bugging me."

He sighed. "Let me see."

I held my hand out and he took it. "You burned your hand? The same one you cut."

I smiled nervously. "Oops...?"

He made me sit on the couch while he cleaned my cut, put burn cream on and bandaged my hand up.

"I didn't think the handle would get hot while it over the burner." I explained. To which, he just shook his head.

Needless to say, for the rest of the night, I was forced to sit on the couch while Matthew finished cooking, then cleaned up.

"You're not allowed to be in the kitchen alone anymore." he muttered


	6. arthur decides to visit

(Maddy's P.O.V)

A few days later, there was a knock at the door. I jumped up from the couch, scrambling away and hiding behind a curtain.

Matthew moved the curtain a few inches and smirked at me. "Really?"

I hissed and jerked the curtain back to it's original position. "The outside world approaches."

He laughed and walked away. I heard the sound of a door opening and peeked out from my hiding spot.

"Hey Arthur." Matthew said, letting said englishman in and closing the door.

"Hello Matthew." Arthur replied, sitting in the chair by the window

_I suppose I should say hi. But that would require coming out of hiding. Hmm... is it worth it?_

I crawled over to the couch, jumped up and settled into a comfortable position. "Hey Arthur."

"Hello." he shifted, as if he was nervous "Um..."

"Any updates on Brittany?" I asked

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, but no. I don't have anything for you."

"Alright." I looked away, fiddling with the bandage on my hand

"What did you do to your hand?" Arthur asked

I froze. "Um... I fell."

"She cut it and then burnt it." Matthew said

Arthur laughed and I blushed. "Matthew..."

"Just telling him the truth." Matthew voiced

I grabbed a pillow and buried my face in it.

Arthur laughed even harder and I pressed the pillow against my face, wishing it would magically open and turn into a portal, so that I could jump through it and get out of this room.

The laughing died down and from what I could tell, they started talking. For a while, I just laid there, waiting for the conversation to end so that Arthur would leave.

After about ten minutes though, I couldn't stand the taste of my breath anymore and sat up, gasping.

"No suffocating yourself." Matthew said, rubbing my back

I stuck my tongue out at him and slid off the couch, wondering where Kuma was. Soon I found him, curled up in bed and picked him up. Normally, I would've just left him there, but right now I wanted to cuddle him.

Walking back to the living room just as Arthur was leaving, I plopped back onto the couch and pet Kuma, watching as he squirmed for a few minutes, then went back to sleep.

Matthew sat next to me and went back to his book. I poked him. "Did you _have _to tell Arthur that I cut my hand?"

He shrugged.

I huffed and looked away from him. "You're mean."

He didn't respond for a while and I pet Kuma again.

"At least I don't run away and hide every time someone knocks on the door."

I scowled and hit his shoulder.


	7. the phone call

(Maddy's P.O.V)

I quickly dialed Brittany's number and held my phone to my ear.

_Ring, ring, ring_

"Hello, this is Brittany speaking."

"Brittany!" I yelled "I haven't talked to you in forever!"

"Maddy? Oh my god, I've missed you so much! How's Canada been treating you?"

I blushed. "Shut up..."

She started laughing. "I meant the place, not your boyfriend!"

"Oh..." _Idiot. _"It's really nice here, better than the states-"

"I know Maddy. I remember when we were in high school and you literally had a list of reasons why Canada is better than the U.S. Question! Does Matthew know about that?"

Even though she couldn't see me, I shook my head, my blush getting worse. "No!"

She laughed again.

"Brittany, I swear if you tell him I'll hate for all eternity!"

"You've been saying that for the past five years. It's so obvious that you've tried to hate me before and failed." she paused. "Besides, I don't have Matthew's number."

"Well I don't want to give you his number." I huffed. Matthew walked in and I blew him a kiss, waiting for Brittany to respond

She faked a cry. "Don't do this, you're hurting my feelings." she paused. "Ouch."

I laughed. "You're so dramatic Brittany. How's France? Did he try anything? Because if he did, I'm flying over there immediately and beating him up for you."

"No, don't do that. He's been really nice and hasn't tried anything. Actually he's been really protective... one could say. Guess what?"

"What?" I asked

"I got sick." she replied "I've gotten better though. Managed to survive Arthur's cooking, give him a flower crown and be waited on by Francis... it was an eventful three days if I say so myself."

"You are Arthur's cooking? And lived?" I yelled

Matthew looked up from his book. "Who ate Arthur's cooking and lived?"

"Hey Matthew!" Brittany called from her end of the line

"Brittany ate Arthur's cooking." I answered

"Brittany?" he paused "Isn't she in France right now?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Mads, that's a huge time difference. Did you wake her up or something?" he asked

I blushed at the nickname, then gasped. "Oh my god! Brittany, did I wake you up?"

"I would've told you that when I answered now, would have I? It's only like 10 o'clock here so I was about to go to sleep but to be honest I'm not that tired. Why? What time is it there?"

I checked the clock. "Only three... something. I totally forgot about the time zones."

"Maddy!"

I chuckled. "Be quiet you..."

She giggled. "Hey Maddy, is Matthew still there?"

"Why?"

"Put me on speaker plz."

"Brittany, not happening."

"I just wanted to say a few things to your canadian boyfriend."

"Like hi, and how's he's doing and ask how he's been treating you and some more friendly threats to treat you well even though he's flipping Canada, what else is he going to do?"

"Matthew, Brittany says hi!" I called He'd walked out of the room a few minutes ago, but I wasn't sure why or where he'd gone.

"Cheater." Brittany said

"Hi Brittany!" Matthew called back

"How's life been treating you?" she asked

"It's been good." he replied

"Has Maddy been giving you a hard time?"

"Brittany shut up!" I said, moving my injured hand so that it was hidden behind the other one

"So I am on speaker." she laughed. "Hey Maddy, Matthew or Kyo?"

I blushed again. "Brittany, you're not bringing this up again."

"Who's Kyo?" Matthew asked

I opened my mouth to answer, but Brittany beat me to it.

"Just a ginger that turns into a cat if he's hugged by a girl. Don't worry Matthew, I'm just teasing. Maddy loves you more. If she didn't then why is she there? She's had the biggest crush on you for the longest time!"

"Brittany!" I pleaded. "Please stop embarrassing me!"

"Sorry Maddy, but as your sister from another mister, it is my duty to tease you no matter where or far I am."

"I hate you so much." I mumbled

"No you don't and you know it."

"I also hate it when you're right."

She chuckled. "It's an occupational hazard."

A faint voice on the other end of the call yelled. "Brittany!"

After a slight pause, she whispered What the heck mint? You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Brittany... who are you talking to?" I asked

"Flying mint bunny?"

I gasped. "You can see Flying mint bunny?!"

"I guess I can."

"What are you doing up so late Brittany?" he asked

"I'm talking to a friend Mint." she replied

"A boyfriend?"

There was a thud and I held the phone away from my ear for a second then put it back.

"No Mint, I don't have a boyfriend... I'm just talking to my friend Maddy. If Arthur sent you to check up on me then go back to him and tell him that I'm fine and should be better by tomorrow or so, ok?"

"Ok!"

"Is he still there?" I asked

"Nope, he just took off back to England."

She yawned. "In any case, I've really missed talking to you Maddy. Did you do anything cool yet?"

"Like what?"

"I dunno... some outdoors-ish. Hiking, ice-skating... hockey... curling..." she paused "There goes to show you how much I know about Canada. I'm so sorry Matthew!"

He shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

"Matthew... I'm a horrible person."

"I'm not commenting on that. To answer your question, no we didn't do anything like that. We've just been inside and finding things to preoccupy ourselves with."

"Dang it Matthew! I was counting on you to get this girl outside more often!"

I laughed. "Nope, not happening Brittany."

"I'd really love to stay and chat with you Maddy but it appears I'm falling asleep on you." she yawned

"Stop it Brittany, sleep is for the weak."

"Maddy, you and I both know I'm weak as it is. Just try to survive in Canada. I'll see when on Earth I can come visit you."

"Brittany, I can't ask you to do that-"

"We started this thing together and dang it, now we're separated. I do plan on finishing this together." she yawned

"Alright if you say so..." I trailed off

"We'll be home in no time Maddy, just watch."

"We've been here for over a month Brittany." _Plus I don't really want to go home._

"I know but everything is solved with time. Am I right or am I right? Don't answer that. Good night Maddy, do call again."

"Yeah you need your sleep. You're starting sound like some old lady." I teased

"Crazy cat lady..."

"Am not!"

"Three cats is pushing the limit and you know it."

"I don't have three cats... do I?" I bit my lip, the fact that I didn't the answer to the question slightly scaring me

"I think you do... or did... anyhack! Goodnight!"

"Night!" I hung up and turned to Matthew

"A ginger that turns into a cat if he's hugged by a girl, huh?"

I nodded. "Yup."


	8. realizing brittany's missing

(Maddy's P.O.V)

_Maybe she'll answer this time. Third time's a charm, right?_

Except that I'd been calling Brittany for almost an hour and a half and so far, she hadn't answered.

I dialed Brittany's number and held my phone to my ear, my heart pounding. _Please pick up, please pick up..._

"_Please leave your message for Brittany Brady." _

I gulped. "Damn it Brittany. Ok, this is like, the hundredth time I've called you. If you're busy, I understand why you're not answering, but..." I trailed off, realizing that something bad could've happened. "Oh god. Brittany, please just... call me back."

I hung up and leaned against the wall, my imagination starting to come up with a logical explanation for why Brittany wouldn't be answering.

_Maybe she got hurt. Could she have gotten sick again? No, I bet she's fine. She's just asleep. Yeah, that's it. It must be really late over there. Or really early...? Either way, she's just asleep. I'm just overreacting, that's all._

Taking a few deep breaths, I walked into the living room and sat next to Matthew. He looked at me. "Did she answer?"

I shook my head, a fresh wave of worry and panic washing over me. "What if she's hurt? What if she had to go to the hospital? What if-"

"I think she would've called you if she was at the hospital." Matthew argued

I sighed and closed my eyes. "I'm probably just overreacting. I'm sure she's fine."

"No more panic stricken phone calls?" Matthew asked, raising an eyebrow at me

"No more panic stricken phone calls." I repeated, resting my head on his shoulder. Even to me, the lie sounded fake.

_**The next day**_

"I don't think anyone at the meetings like me." I complained, forcing my foot into an uncooperative sneaker "China thinks I'm disrespectful, I nearly killed Gilbert."

Matthew chuckled and looked at me. "China can be hard to get along with sometimes. And if Gilbert doesn't like you, then that's your own fault."

I stuck my tongue out at him and started tying the laces of my shoe. "He was asking for it. Nobody hurts the people I care about and gets out unscathed."

Matthew chuckled. "I've noticed."

When we got to the meeting, everyone was surprisingly quiet. Well everyone except for Alfred, who was running around, screaming. I was surprised no one had tried to kill him yet.

Everyone sat down and I looked at the floor. I'd refused to sit in one of the chairs (those things were an immediate invitation to pay attention to the person sitting in them) and fiddled with the pen I'd shoved in my pocket before we'd left.

A conversation started and I zoned out on it until someone mentioned Brittany. That snapped me back to reality and I was immediately more alert.

"Brittany's missing! We can't just sit around and do nothing!" Alfred yelled

"Brittany's missing?" I yelped, jumping up and staring at him in shock "How long has she been gone?"

Alfred suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable and wouldn't meet my eyes. "Um, we're not... exactly sure..."

Breathing became very hard. Not in a 'I'm shocked' way. More in a 'I'm going to murder someone' way.

"You're not sure?" I repeated, my voice low and cold "You're not sure?"

Everyone tensed. Maybe they could tell how close to blowing I was.

"How could you not be sure?!" I yelled, launching myself across the table and tackling him. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

I felt hands grab my shoulders and pull me off him. I kicked and squirmed.

"Calm down." Matthew said, holding me at arm's length. "No killing Alfred."

"I'm calm." I replied

"Are you sure?" he asked

I nodded. "I'm calm."

"Ok." he let go of me.

For a few seconds, I was still, then I tackled Alfred again and choking him. "It was your job to look out for her!"

Matthew dragged me off Alfred again and I burst into tears. _Brittany's gone. She's gone and no one knows how long she's been gone. _

Everyone started arguing again and I closed my eyes, waiting for it all to be over.

"Maybe we should talk to her," someone yelled "She _was _the last one to talk to Brittany!"

That got my attention. I opened my eyes and looked around the room. "What?" I croaked

"You were the last one to talk to Brittany." Alfred said, handing me a paper that looked like it was covered in phone logs. "The last person before she went missing."

Suddenly, what he was suggesting fully developed and I stood up, glaring at him. "Are you suggesting that _I _had something to do with Brittany's disappearance?"

"Well, you _were _the last one to talk to her." he argued

I looked at the paper again and rolled my eyes. "Get your eyes checked idiot. _I _wasn't the last person to talk to Brittany, Arthur was!"

"What?" Alfred grabbed the paper and he eyes widened. "Oops..."

"If you want to know what happened to her, then maybe you should talk to him." I hissed, crossing my arms and turning away from him. _Jerks. I wouldn't kidnap my best friend._

"Well we kinda can't."

"Why not?"

"Because he and Francis are missing too."

"And you never thought to mention this before!?" multiple voices yelled

The meeting ended. Mostly because too many people said that if they didn't leave right then, they were going to murder Alfred.

_**Time skip**_

"Come on Mads, you need to eat." Matthew pressed "You haven't done anything except sit there for three days."

"Three days?" I repeated _Is that really all it's been?_

He nodded and got up. "Should I make pancakes? Or do you want something else?"

I shook my head. "Pancakes are..." I winced, the sentence not fully formed. "They sound good."

A look of relief came over his face and he walked out of the room.

I sighed and went back to staring at the wall. I hadn't meant to worry Matthew and it wasn't that I wasn't hungry, I just felt that if I moved at all or did anything, all the emotion I'd been keeping in would come out and I'd fall apart. Ever since the meeting, the anger and sorrow I'd first felt had been replaced with this numbness that had eventually spread everywhere.

Soon, Matthew came back with a plate of pancakes and held it out to me. I reached up, took it and poked at the stack with a fork he'd handed me.

He sighed. "I know this is a result of Brittany going missing and I don't know nearly as well as you do, but I _do _know that she wouldn't want to stop living and destroy your life because of her."

Which of course, only made me feel worse. Mainly because it was true. I sat the fork down, tears welling in my eyes.

"I-I'm sorry," Matthew said quickly and hugged me. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad."

I shook my head. "It's not you. It's just... you're right. I know Brittany would want me to go on with my life, I just... I'm so worried about her and I can't do anything. I can't even put up missing posters or anything because she's in another country."

Matthew was silent for so long, I thought he'd zoned out. "I'm sure Brittany will be fine." he said "It's not like she's completely defenseless. She can take care of herself."

I smiled. "That's true. I love you."

He smiled back. "I love you too. Now eat those pancakes."

I saluted and picked up the fork. "Yes sir."


	9. making matthew feel better

**To the reviews!**

**pinkittwice54: :P Why am I not allowed to kill them? That's not fair.**

**To the story!**

(Maddy's P.O.V)

The door slammed and I jumped. _Damn it, I was so close to actually taking a nap. _

Matthew sighed, took his shoes off and plopped onto the couch. I sat up, my nose still congested.

"How was the meeting?" I asked. I'd wanted to go, but Matthew made me stay home because I'd gotten sick a couple days ago.

Just by looking at his face, I could tell something had happened.

"Fine." he replied

"Are you ok?" he looked like he was about to cry

"I'm fine."

"Matthew, you're a terrible liar."

He sighed. "I know... I just, they-"

"Who are you?" Kuma asked, cutting him off

Matthew burst into tears and I scowled, picking Kuma up and dropping him over the side of the couch.

Leaning over, I hugged Matthew. "What happened?"

He sighed again. "Everyone else got into an argument and I tapped Alfred on the shoulder to tell him something and he looked right through me. They all did. And then when I said something, they freaked out and said something about a ghost."

I hugged him tighter. "They're all terrible people."

"The only time they notice me is when they confuse me with Alfred." he muttered

"Well then, they're just stupid and blind." I argued. "There are obvious differences between you two."

"Like what?" Matthew asked

"Well, you're quieter." I started

"Yeah, a lot of good _that's _done me." he muttered bitterly

"Being quiet is a good thing. You're also more polite, more of a gentleman, more adorable." I began counting the qualities on my fingers

"More adorable?" he repeated with a smirk

I shrugged. "Yes. And as for physical differences, your hair color is different, you have your curl and he has his cowlick."

"Nobody else seems to notice. I bet no one would even care if I disappeared." he said miserably

"I would care." I said quietly

"One person. One person would care." he mumbled

"Brittany would care." I argued

"Would she?"

"Has she ever given you a reason to doubt that she would?"

"Well... no. But would she care because it was me or because it would upset you?"

I crossed my arms. "Her reasons would be her own. But she _would _care."

"Alfred wouldn't." Matthew whispered

"Well Alfred's self-centered and obnoxious. He wouldn't notice if someone shot him."

Matthew smiled slightly. "That's true, but if I disappeared, I don't think anyone would look for me."

"I would." I replied "Even if there wasn't any hope of finding you, I would look. I wouldn't ever stop looking for you."

He didn't look convinced, but I wasn't about to let this go.

"You don't understand how much you affect the lives of people around you." I muttered

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah I do. Not at all."

I scowled. "You're so stubborn. You're more important than you think. You know, the fact that the other countries ignore you just shows that they don't appreciate you or the things you do, but there are people who love you."

"There's you." he argued "That's it."

"Kuma loves you."

"He doesn't even remember who I am."

"He has a short attention span."

"That has nothing to do with this."

I rolled my eyes. "Matthew, I love you. I notice you and if you disappeared, I would die. I don't think I'd be able to properly function anymore. You are more important than you think and you don't give yourself enough credit."

He didn't respond.

"Why can't you see how much you mean to the people who actually care?"

Still no response.

Finally, "You need to go to sleep."

I glared at him. "Damn it Matthew. I'm not going to sleep until you feel better."

"I'm fine." he muttered

I crossed my arms. "Are you just saying that so I'll shut up and go to sleep?"

Matthew shook his head. "No, I- I'm fine."

Rolling my eyes, I hugged him again. "Are you sure?" _Because_ _I don't believe you._

He nodded and looked away.

"Ok..." I said hesitantly

Matthew suddenly wrapped his arms around me. "What did I do to deserve you?"

I blushed. "Uh... I'm not sure how to respond to that."

We ended up cuddling for a while, until my body decided to make me sneeze multiple times, get a bloody nose and completely ruin the moment.

_Damn it._


	10. the nordics call

(Maddy's P.O.V)

"I have to go to the store." Matthew said, leaning against the doorframe.

I looked up from the book I'd convinced both him and myself that I was reading. Unfortunately, after being on the same page for two hours, it became painfully obvious to both of us that I wasn't actually reading. I wasn't even close to reading.

I was slowly losing my mind. I'd been having problems sleeping, hadn't eaten breakfast since- I couldn't remember the last time I'd eaten -and hadn't bothered with personal hygiene. I forced myself to focus on finding a response for Matthew, but eventually just went with, "Ok."

He winced then sighed. "Will you actually eat while I'm gone? Please?"

I slowly nodded. "Yup."

It took a lot of energy to make that one word sound even halfway energetic and convincing. _Maybe I should take a nap..._

Matthew was still staring at me, his eyes filled with concern. "Are you sure you'll be ok alone? Do you want to come with?"

I shook my head. "Nah, I'll just... maybe I'll take a nap."

"That'd probably be a good idea. You haven't been sleeping well."

He came over and sat next to me. "I'll try to be quick, ok?"

"Ok." To be honest, I didn't even care anymore. It didn't matter whether Matthew was around or not. I felt empty no matter what. _Am I more dependent upon Brittany then I thought?_

If I was, then it was going to suck if we found out something bad had happened to her. _If Brittany dies, I'll snap. I just know it. I've gotten bad enough with her missing._

_I mean, I was convinced that I saw her the other day. Ran up to a complete stranger because I saw her from behind. Poor girl... I feel bad for scaring her._

Matthew got up and walked out of the room. I heard the front door slam and flinched, the sound echoing painfully in my head. He probably hadn't actually slammed it, but lately everything had seemed amplified, as if it was hooked up to a giant speaker that was playing directly next to my ear.

_I need to shower..._

I got up and made my way to the bathroom, turning the tap on and got in, scrubbing away the dirt. Quickly washing my hair and rinsing it, I got out, dried off and got dressed again. Suddenly, I noticed a scar on my hand.

_Is that where I cut my hand? God, how bad was it? I didn't think it was bad enough to become a scar._

I shook my head and brushed my hair, putting it into a ponytail and stretching. _Time to take that nap._

I laid down, squirming under the blanket and burying my head in the pillow. _I forgot how comfortable this bed is. _I yawned, realizing how tired I was. I closed my eyes and yawned again, waiting for sleep to come.

Unfortunately, the phone had other plans.

The ringing made me feel like someone was stabbing me in the head. I pressed a couple fingers to my temples, trying to make the pain go away. The phone rang again. I groaned, got up and stomped over to it.

_This better be pretty freaking important._

I answered the phone and growled through clenched teeth, "Somebody better be dying."

"Uh... is this Canada?" a timid voice asked.

"No." I grumbled. "This is Maddy. Why? Do I need to take a message?"

The voice became slightly elated. "Maddy? That's perfect!"

"What? Why? Is this the person that kidnapped Brittany? Because, if it is, I swear, I will make your life so miserable that you'll-"

"Actually this is Iceland and I was calling to tell you that we have Brittany."

I blinked and dropped the phone. "What?"

"Hello?" Iceland called. "Are you still there?"

I frantically snatched the phone off the floor. "Yes! I'm still here! Holy crap, you have Brittany! She's not dead! How is she? Is she ok?"

He chuckled. "Brittany's fine. She actually asked me to call you. She wanted me to tell you that the people who kidnapped her are coming after you too. She wanted to make sure you were ok."

I giggled, suddenly feeling unnaturally happy. I must have confused Iceland because he started trying to figure out what I was laughing about. No matter how hard I tried to stop laughing long enough to explain, I couldn't.

"I'm sorry." I said, once my stomach had started to hurt and I forced myself to stop before it got bad. "I just- you have no idea how happy hearing that just made me."

"I understand." Iceland said, his voice once again quiet and timid. "We were all talking about what happened when she got kidnapped and then Tino brought up the second players and then she started crying and saying that she needed to warn you."

_Tino? Was that Finland? Am I remembering that right? _"The second players?" I repeated. I remembered them and hearing that they were the ones that had kidnapped Brittany made me uneasy.

"Yes, the second players. Brittany said that they were talking about you and that they were planning to come after you. She wanted to make sure you were ok."

A chill went up my spine. "Oh. I'll... I'll tell Matthew when he gets back."

"He's not there now?"

"No, he went to the store." my stomach soured and I gripped the phone harder. "How did she get away from them?"

"She jumped out of a moving car."

"She what? She realizes she couldn't have _died _right?"

"Don't worry," Iceland said "We already lectured her about it."

"Good, one less lecture I have to come up with." I muttered, rubbing my forehead.

He chuckled again. "You guys really care about each other, don't you?"

"Are you kidding?" I asked. "Do you have any idea how worried I was? You have no idea how happy I am to hear that she's safe. I was about to lose my mind worrying."

Iceland suddenly turned serious. "You _will _tell Matthew about the second players, right?"

"Of course. I wouldn't keep something that important from him." I vowed.

"I-" there was a yell from the other end of the line and it was a few minutes before Iceland spoke again. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"Ok, thanks Iceland!"

"It's Emil." he replied.

I smiled and rolled my eyes. "Alright. Thanks Emil."

I hung up and couldn't help smiling again. By the time Matthew got home, I'd managed to change and put music on. He froze in the doorway and stared at me. "Are you wearing a dress?"

I nodded, still smiling. "Guess what? Brittany's ok! She's with the Nordics! My sister's ok!"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Really? How do you know?"

"Emil called and told me." I grabbed a few of the bags he was holding and dragged him toward the kitchen. "We should make lunch, I'm starving."


	11. the UN meeting

**So, I know it's been awhile since I've updated this story and that's because there really wasn't anything to write. Lucky though, pinkittwice54 gave me an idea for a new chapter so here it is!**

(Maddy's P.O.V)

At first, truth or dare didn't seem so bad. Most of the nations chose truth which resulted in boring, generic questions that led to even more boring and generic answers. I'd pretty much given up on the idea of one of them choosing dare until Antonio asked Romano.

The italian literally growled out his answer, telling Antonio that he was doing a dare, that Antonio was stupid and that he shouldn't be able to come up with anything to bad.

"I dare you to play seven minutes in heaven with the person on your left!"

Brittany and I both paled, the realization hitting us both at the same time. Romano did not look amused. "You tomato-"

Brittany yelped as a country who I assumed was Denmark threw her over his shoulder and walked away. I got up, chasing after him, still not quite sure if it was him because I hadn't bothered to pay attention to how countries looked outside of the Axis, the Allies and some exceptions, like Gilbert or Romano.

"Let me go!" Brittany cried, struggling in vain to get out of Denmark's grip.

"Spain, you idiot!" I yelled. No one responded and I realized that they weren't even paying attention to me.

Romano started cursing as someone picked him up. I imagined that if he were on a TV show, he'd be like Gordon Ramsey and every other word would be bleeped out. Both he and Brittany were thrown into a closet, Denmark yelling about how they had seven minutes.

Someone began banging on the door. I assumed it was Romano, but knowing Brittany, she was probably sitting in a corner, trying to tune out the world. After about a minute or so, the banging stopped.

I snatched Brittany's phone away from Alfred and glared at the screen, as if that would make Antonio understand how much of an idiot he was. "You're an idiot."

"Be nice dudette." Alfred muttered, grabbing Brittany's phone from me again. "Being a country gets boring you know."

"Is that why you stay up all night playing video games and then wake the rest of us u when you beat a level that wasn't even that hard?" I growled.

"What are you talking about dudette? That level was hard and besides, it's not like you were asleep anyway!"

"That's not the point!" I snapped. "How would you like it if I came into your room at three in the morning and started jumping on your bed, yelling about how I just finished a chapter in my book and some guy died and there was a lot of blood?"

"Books are boring dudette."

I hissed at him.

Alfred raised an eyebrow at me. "Dudette, you sounded like a cat. You realize you're not a cat, right?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, Alfred, I didn't know. I had no idea I wasn't a cat! How was I ever going to find out the truth had you not been here?"

Antonio chuckled. "Chica, you're almost as bad as Roma!"

"I am not!" I snapped, stalking back over to my seat next to Matthew, who was trying his hardest not to laugh.

Frau!" Gilbert yelled across the room. "You and Romano should have a sass war! The awesome Prussia shall be the judge!"

"Nah, I'm good." I muttered, pushing my fork through the syrup left over from the pancakes Matthew had pushed in front of me earlier, despite my protests of not being hungry.

"Cherie, are you done with that?" I looked up to see France pointing at my plate.

I sighed. "No, not at all, I'm to eat the plate too!"

As he walked away, I pushed the plate away from myself and laid my head on the table. After a minute or so though, I got the uncomfortable feeling that someone was staring at me and looked up. It was Denmark.

I waved at him. He didn't respond and I scowled. "Do I have something on my face or do you just not have eyelids, causing you to lack the ability to blink?"

He blushed and looked away, turning around completely and walking away from the table.

Arthur was checking his watch, glaring at the closet door. I went up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. He started talking, before turning to me, "Get out of here, you bloody- oh, it's just you."

I put a hand over my heart in mock sadness. "'_Just me?' _Wow, ouch. Alright, I'm leaving. I just wanted to know how much longer they have."

"No, I'm sorry. You just weren't who I was expecting."

"Sorry to be such a disappointment." I muttered, walking away, sitting in a corner and closing my eyes.

Germany walked over. "The floor doesn't seem very comfortable. Why don't you sit in a chair?"

I glared at him through half closed eyes. "Just because I'm part german, does not mean you can control me!"

He looked surprised and confused. "You're... part german?"

I nodded. "And part british and part french and part scottish and part italien. Oh and part albino, but that's from my father. Lots of different parts."

"Frau, you're part albino?"

"Oh god..."

Gilbert came over and picked me up. I began squirming immediately.

"You don't look albino!" He said, inspecting my arm.

I pulled my arm out of his grasp and tried to pry his of me. "Yeah, my father was albino, but my mom actually had some color so it's not super obvious."

His grip tightened as he went around the room and I set my feet against his arm and pushed. "Let go of me!"

Gilbert dropped me and I groaned, rubbing my lower back. Alfred ran over and held his hand out.

I smacked it away and got up. "I'm not some damsel in distress who needs a knight on a white horse to help her out of every little thing!"

Alfred looked offended. "I was trying to be a gentleman!"

I rolled my eyes. "I thought you were supposed to be the hero! Are you changing your mind now?"

Before Alfred could reply, Arthur walked over. "It's been seven minutes."

"It has?" He nodded and I ran over to the closet, flung the door open, grabbed Brittany and dragged her out. "Brittany! Oh my god! Are you ok?"

Brittany blinked rapidly, then moved my hands away from her to my sides. "Geeze Maddy calm down! We just talked! Calm down! For the love of- Maddy shut up!"

I stopped my rambling and fussing and stared at her. "Are you sure you're ok?"

After the meeting, the ride back to Alfred's was quiet and sullen. There was no music playing, no one was talking excitedly.

Brittany went to her room and I followed her, determined to cheer her up. Somehow.

After about 20 minutes though, I was running out of ideas. Nothing that usually made Brittany happy and lead her to uncontrollable laughter was working.

I paced back forth between her door and window. "Ok, um..."

"What happened while Lovino and I were in the closet?" She asked, her eyes still slightly unfocused, but she was staring at me.

"While you were... oh! Well, basically, I got really sassy with everyone."

That's it?"

"Well, Gilbert also decided that Lovino and I should have a sass war and that he should be the judge."

For some reason, that made her laugh. It was a bit confusing, but I wasn't going to ask her why she found it so funny. She was laughing again at least.


	12. magic trio

**Once again, I know it's been a while since I've done anything with this story, but I got a random idea for a chapter. To the reviews.**

**Anonymous Cheese: There IS an OC tag on this story and it's not a self-insert. The character that this story is focused on is an OC. She may not be the best one, but she's still an OC.**

**To the story.**

(Maddy's P.O.V)

I yawned once again, hoping that this time I'd managed to hide it before Matthew could see it. His eye roll told me that I had not been sly enough to accomplish such a task. "Just take a nap." he muttered, poking my shoulder.

I sighed, before yawning again and shaking my head. "I already told you, I'm not tired."

His eyes narrowed at me. "You're a bad liar."

"I am a fabulous liar." I replied, flipping my hair. "How long have Brittany and Emil been gone?"

"Only like ten minutes. Calm down and go take a nap."

"Don't tell me to calm down. The last time I let Brittany go off somewhere with some other nation, she ended up getting kidnapped and almost died." _Even though I know she can take care of herself, I will always be here for her._

Matthew crossed his arms. "Fine, don't calm down, but at least take a nap."

I shook my head again. "No. I don't need a nap. I'm fine."

"You haven't been sleeping at all."

"When do I ever sleep? I'm an insomniac. Sleep is a foreign concept."

This earned me a groan and a facepalm from Matthew. "You're taking a nap."

"I don't wanna." I whined like the child I was, crossing my arms again. He finally seemed to give up, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes. I laid my head on his leg and played with a string dangling from the sleeve of his shirt.

"I don't think you could be more of a cat if you tried."

"I could always get cat ears." I replied, flicking the string again.

"True, but then you'd have to figure out a way to get a tail too."

"Isn't that what costume shops are for?"

"I suppose so."

"Besides," I said, grasping the string in my fingertips then letting it go again. "Brittany won't let me be a cat." Either Matthew didn't reply or there was something wrong with my hearing because I didn't hear him say anything. I blinked, briefly rubbing my eye in an attempt to relieve the itch that had developed in it. Which that didn't work, I closed my eyes and only a second or two seemed to pass, but when I opened my eyes again, I was being stared at through wide eyes. "What?"

My boyfriend shook his head. "Nothing, nothing at all. You just were out for a while, that's all."

I sat up, rubbing my eyes again. "What?"

"You were asleep for half an hour."

"Ok, I just slept for half an hour. What did I miss?" I asked, mostly directing my question at Matthew, but preparing in case someone else answered instead.

"This dick!" Matthias yelled across the room.

I sighed in annoyance, then sent the dane a look of relief. "Thank god, I thought I might have missed something big."

A stunned silence filled the room, before someone went, "Ooooh!" and the dane I'd just owned looked shocked and hurt. I supposed I should've felt bad, but I was so done with him flirting with me all the time.

Vietnam and Taiwan laughed, only slightly as if they didn't want me to know they found something I'd said funny. "Look at this," Vietnam snickered. "The ugly american's actually got a backbone."

"Ugly?" I repeated, glaring at her. "Excuse me, but I am not a mirror."

This time, people started snickering and trying to cover up laughter. Vietnam turned pink and Taiwan returned my glare. "Honey, you may just be tough enough to survive here. I'm so proud of you."

I rolled my eyes at her. "Honey," I started in a sweet voice before letting my poker face out and deadpanned. "You're so fake that barbie is jealous."

No one even tried hiding their laughter this time. People were snickering and laughing so hard that a few of them were crying. Taiwan, Vietnam and Matthias all left the room. "That was amazing dudette!" Alfred said, running over and smiling crazily. "Did you see their faces?"

"Don't encourage her." Matthew muttered as I laid down again. "She's bad enough without your influence."

"AW, Mattie, come on! Those were probably the best insults of all time!"

I closed my eyes again, smirking. "Thanks Al. I think they were pretty good too."

"You just go back to sleep." Matthew said forcefully, poking me in the forehead. "I hope you realize that this is why the others don't particularly like you."

I opened one eye far enough to send him a quizzical look. "I don't give a damn if they like me or not. I'm not in a relationship with any of the others." Before he could reply, I closed my eye again and went back to sleep.


End file.
